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EVENTS | HMC ANNUAL CONFERENCE | 41
“BRITISH EDUCATION, HMC-STYLE, IS IN HUGE DEMAND ALL OVER THE WORLD” Read a related story: click here
Heads together Richard Harman looks forward to this year’s HMC annual conference T
he annual conference for members of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference
(HMC) takes place at The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport from 29 September until 2 October, just two weeks after the NATO summit, the first to take place in Wales. The HMC’s theme this year is ‘finding a voice’; NATO’s theme was ‘building stability in an unpredictable world’ – a sobering responsibility. At the same time, one of the main issues of the NATO meeting was ‘strengthening partnerships’ and the HMC conference will be addressing that too. The recent Social Mobility and
Child Poverty Commission report recognised that many talented and successful people working in the UK atend independent schools. The exam results from these schools regularly demonstrate students’ high academic achievements but, crucially, independent schools also identify pupils’ talents, develop character and creativity, and encourage individuality. HMC-member schools also spend
more on bursaries per pupil in England than Russell Group universities do per undergraduate. They are making a contribution as a force for good in society, but make no demand on the public purse. They want to work with state-maintained schools, with charities, with universities and with Government to share best practice and widen access to independent education. This year, as ever, the HMC conference
has a rich programme of speakers. Sir Howard Stringer, ex-chairman, president and CEO of the Sony Corporation, will be talking about technology – from adolescence to obsolescence. Dame Julia Cleverdon will be encouraging all to pay heed to the importance of serving others as part of her new Step Up To Serve campaign. Baroness Morgan, ex-Ofsted chairman, will be discussing what she thought of Michael Gove’s school reforms and the importance of sustainability in education policy. The HMC’s own Sir Anthony Seldon from Wellington College will be in discussion with former members of Cabinet David Blunket and Stephen Dorrell – who knows where that might go? Father Christopher Jamison, Benedictine monk and former headteacher of Worth School, will be sharing his thoughts on headship and vocation. Sir John Scarlet, chairman of the British secret intelligence services from 2004 until 2009, will be talking about secrecy, privacy and living in the public space, followed by Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, discussing ‘speaking truth to power’ with the Reverend Nicholas Mercer, former Lieutenant Colonel Mercer and now a human rights lawyer. Neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London, will be explaining her research into the teenage brain. There will also be plenty of
opportunity for members to talk to each other about some of the issues
currently facing teachers, including the curriculum changes introduced this term; the current system of public examinations and their regulation; and university access and admissions. Alongside this, there will be music
and singing performed by students from Christ College Brecon, Monmouth School, Rougemont School and the Uppingham School Chamber Choir; entertainment from Only Boys Aloud and the Jazzberries; and a recital from soprano Elizabeth Atherton accompanied by Michael Pollock. More challenging will be a daily participatory session with Dominic Peckham, conductor, arranger and orchestral and choral ambassador, who will be encouraging delegates to sing. It is perhaps hard for HMC schools
always to speak with one voice, so diverse is their composition. But they make a magnificent choir, united not only by the academic and cultural impact on students, but also the economic contribution they make to the UK, at home and as an export – British education, HMC-style, is in huge demand all over the world. HMC was founded in 1869 to defend and promote the importance of a liberal, holistic education. 145 years on, it continues robustly to do so. iE
The HMC annual conference is at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, 29 Sept-2 Oct W:
www.hmc.org.uk Richard Harman is headmaster of Uppingham School and this year’s chairman of HMC
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